Love, Lessons & the First Spears of Spring

The Vine

Life is a highway. We learn through our experiences and from those who are willing to teach us.

As a child, I was very close to my maternal grandmother; I called her Nummie. Why? Because I couldn’t say “Grammy.” Rumor had it that I was her favorite. She had lost her first husband at 34 years old from heart issues that, in today’s world, could likely have been cured. She struggled raising five children and found love again at 58. She married a man a few years older, and he became my Grandpa Bill, my step-grandfather. They had both been city dwellers all their lives, and after they married they decided to move to the country to raise chickens and goats and plant a huge garden.

Grandpa Bill, let’s call him GB, knew I loved animals and the outdoors. GB gave me the nickname “Frank Buck*,” after the world-famous hunter, animal collector, film actor and producer. I really felt good when he called me Frank Buck, and we became a great team. We built chicken coops, garages and goat pens — and yes, I started my vegetable gardening hobby with GB.

GB was determined to grow asparagus. He made it his mission and mine. For those who have not grown asparagus, preparing 100-foot-long beds 12 to 18 inches wide and 6 to 12 inches deep is a labor of love. This also required keeping the weeds out, and obviously, this was Frank Buck’s job. It can take two to three years before you can harvest. As you can imagine, we planted multiple beds each year until GB thought he had enough.

Nummie made great lunches, gave me a lot of kisses and hugs, and made Frank Buck feel loved. I will never forget those days and weeks we spent together during the spring and summer. Those memories are stuck deep inside my soul.

As time moved on, I built my own house and decided I wanted to become a gardener and grow asparagus. By luck, I met another gardener, Randy Collins, who had similar life experiences with his grandparents. We discussed the benefits of growing asparagus and realized that all that work would provide a perennial that could produce for up to 30 years!

GB taught Frank Buck that hard work is essential for personal growth, success and overall well-being. He also laid the foundation for a wonderful relationship with my own grandson, Luke. Luke also had a hard time saying “Grammy,” so he calls his grandmother “DP,” and we all decided he should call me “Buck!” I guess the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree.

As spring begins to show its beautiful face, I cannot wait to see the first spears emerging from the soil. It will have been worth every ache and pain. Those spears will be so beautiful when they are ready to harvest; I hope I can get all of them inside before trying one for a snack.

In the words of GB: Live long, do not be afraid of hard work, and please eat your asparagus slowly.

Editor’s note: Longtime readers may recall that Rod Michael used to write “The Vine” using the pseudonym “Frank Buck” until he revealed his true identity in our Winter 2022 issue.

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